Mirror mirror on the wall. What does a best school need at all?!

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“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.’ – Victor Hugo

It’s always been a big task to search for a good school which will satisfy all our requirements. A school which looks good, the staff is helpful and friendly during the admission process and the campus looks pleasing and convincing enough to send our child to the school. Why should we create a mental checklist like this to make sure that it fits in all our requirements? Aren’t all schools the same? Aren’t the same module and instructions are prevalent everywhere? Don’t all schools adhere to the government’s rules and regulations of the Right to Education and Right to Information act? They do…Do they?! This dilemma is what makes us explore the schools with a fixed set of prerequisites where we just expect a score of 10/10 as the concern here is about our child’s future.

What makes a school so great or what makes a school fail miserably with some bad reviews slapped on it? Any good school is a typical example of an impeccable team work coupled with few other factors which aids in the collective success including stunning academic results and unmatched educational conquests. Sounds a bit cliche’? This term of a “Good School” is not as simple as it sounds. There are a zillion elements which goes in for years to build a strong institution which delivers just best in the students irrespective of the background and the community they come from. This is just one among the various ingredients which are necessary to setup a respectable educational institution.

A child’s prospective school is decided by the parents based on the several elements which the school possesses for the betterment of the child’s life as it’s the very place a child spends most of his/her time of childhood to seek educational guidance. So what are those “A list” things which makes a school – “THE SCHOOL”? Let us discuss a few vital ingredients which prove to be the game changers in the field of quality education.

 

Effective leadership and management:

“One good schoolmaster is of more use than a hundred priests.” – Thomas Paine

A self-motivated, highly experience and a skilled group of people who are passionate about building an empire which is devoted to produce the prospective better citizens. – This marks as the “Main Course” of this buffet called – Education System. The in-depth understanding of the school’s core values, a blend of professionalism with a tinge of philosophy, problem solving proficiency and a commanding organizational attitude are few attributes which assures a success story of a school. An inexperienced, lethargic management would be a stage for some “Comedy of Errors” which fails to attach any stories of glory to their academic history. Seeking advice of a trained Educationist could do some damage control if any. Also a healthy professional and ethical relationship with the school staff can prove productive.

 

Educated Teaching Faculty:

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – William Arthur Ward

A subtle amalgamation of experienced old teachers and the energetic bunch of young teachers; who are ready to extend support for the experienced ones by constant helping and frequent learning – This would be a perfect concrete mixture for the foundation of any institution which wishes to dart towards success. Providing children with a comfort zone would not mean by giving them ample space and good chairs to sit. A favorable learning environment constitutes of teachers who are dedicated and patient enough to tackle the curiosity of the young minds and make them imbibe the potion of trust and respect which can be achieved only through patience and practice. A teacher can be strict, liberal… be somebody’s favourite and somebody else’s nightmare. What matters at the end of the day is engaging in the tried and tested ways of the old-school teaching methodologies with a pinch of creativity and positivism. Becoming a listener and indulging in some child-like behaviour to pull them to you are some of the typical traits of a great teacher.

Experimentation, Adaptation and Innovation:

 

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs

Visiting the roads which approaches a new perspective of curriculum understanding by frequently revisiting the lanes of the traditional teaching methodologies will fetch better results in the students. Not all kids are good at everything and no kid is born with Zero IQ to be judged as a below average student. A new dimension of teaching techniques like activity based, group discussions, games based etc are now inculcated to lessen the burden of the studies as followed before. There are now some organisations which provide educational activity solutions for the welfare of those institutions which are laying baby steps to plunge into the giant leap of academic success.

Not just by hiring a professional education system developer or an expert educationist who will appear now and then to give guest lectures and training which may look repetitive or time consuming. Using or observing techniques collectively, sharing the ideas on something like – How to rank a child’s productivity or something simple like managing a chaotic class like a pro. These are not learnt but acquired with constant learning and a strong means of teamwork.

Holistic approach of education:

“I never teach my pupils, I only provide the conditions in which they can learn.”  – Albert Einstein.

Apart from science , math and languages there are few other important topics too during the student-hood which are ought to be covered. Honesty, leadership, compassion, articulation, presentation and resilience… Basically the “Art of Effective learning and living”. There are zillion subjects in this world which cannot be studied but can just be understood or acquired.  Holistic education believes in the enhancement of a student’s cognitive, mental and physical well-being. Art classes, sporting and cultural events do take a lion’s share of credit in fulfilling this criterion.

Building trust with kids

Infrastructure and Facilities:

 

“A school is a temple for learning”

Comfortable and well lit classrooms, a huge playground, library for knowledge resource and research and a campus that interests education are the prime requirements of any given school. The differentiation occurs with the increase in the number of facilities and its quality. Any school should possess these basic necessities without which it may just look like a train without wheels which leads nowhere but stays at one place and remains outdated.

 

 

Digitization and Technology Friendly:

 

“Digital India is not an elite concept anymore. We have to use this idea to revolutionize health and education in India.” – Narendra Modi

With the wide usage of eLearning platforms like Xseed, SmartClass, EduComp etc in the school as part of the effective learning method in many schools, India is Shining bright with high beams of Technological Innovations. The present day’s kids are truly the gadget gizmos who seek a great amount of interest in tweaking into tabs and smartphones. Keeping this aspect in mind the educational apps like Byju’s, Fliplearn, Edurite, Toppr, TopRankers and many such geeky stuff has arrived to make the life of a student much simpler. The apps provide customized learning patterns, worksheets and exams aiding protocols – practicing which a student takes the royal road of better exam preparing abilities.

 

Digitally and Responsibly yours!

 

Security and Transparency:

 

“Today it is the time for every child to have a right to life, freedom, health, education, safety, dignity, equality and peace.” – Kailash Satyarthi

Any of the above factors holds no value with the absence of a well allotted security measures. The CCTV cameras, security personnel and a campus with proper arrangements to ensure a safe environment for our child’s knowledge hunt is the utmost priority in any institution. With this the transparency goes hand in hand when parents are called for the PTM which involves honest and unbiased opinions of the teachers about the pupil and also the positive response received from the school management regarding any queries coming from the parents. Being clear about the school’s functionality and ethics is a great thing, but if it hampers the pristine relationship with the parents, it may prove fatal. The school or the parents must be mutually answerable if any unforeseen, unpleasant circumstances show up. A healthy communication and mutual respect adds value to this point.

 

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